


Times Like These

by bluestargirl6 (pressdbtwnpages)



Category: Veronica Mars (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-06-05
Updated: 2005-06-05
Packaged: 2017-10-04 14:43:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/31374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pressdbtwnpages/pseuds/bluestargirl6
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>...It wasn't all that long ago that Veronica and Logan used to be the kind of friends who comforted each other after things like this.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Times Like These

**Author's Note:**

> Set during and pre-Season 1

"You guys, look," Veronica says as Caitlin Ford discovers there is no room for her at the 09er's table.

"Hate to be her."

"Yeah, that would suck." Part of Veronica empathizes with Caitlin, she knows how it feels to lose that spot. But Veronica is more aware of Logan averting his eyes, pondering the pocket of his jeans, feigning indifference.

It has got to sting losing another girlfriend. And it wasn't all that long ago that Veronica and Logan used to be the kind of friends who comforted each other after things like this.

***

Veronica knew without looking that Logan was slinking along behind her and her father. She knew because it happened frequently.

The Echolls had never been the most… involved parents, and the Kane's had no interest in minding Logan. Which was logical considering the… intenseness that was Logan and Lilly, but weird considering Duncan was Logan's best friend. Veronica's dad was a good human being and Veronica's mom wanted to be everyone's friend so Logan spent a lot of time with the Mars'. Surprisingly a lot. But Logan was Lilly's boyfriend and Duncan's best friend, Veronica was Duncan's girlfriend and Lilly's best friend. She and Logan had a lot in common, the people they love, but chemistry? Ew, never.

Logan hung back when Keith and Veronica reached the squad car.

"Get in Logan," Keith jerked his head. Veronica could tell her dad was pissed by the lack of bantering he engages in and she was really glad Logan was around. Veronica's dad wouldn't ream her out in front of Logan.

"Thank you sir," Logan slid into the backseat.

No one spoke and Veronica spent her time studying Logan in the rearview mirror. Though he'd ridden in the back of this car dozens of times, Logan through chain-link struck Veronica as strikingly unfamiliar. He was an angry borderline juvenile delinquent and Veronica felt like she had glimpsed the future, though she couldn't picture a possible future that might harden him so.

"Am I taking you home Logan?" Keith had interrupted Veronica's puzzled musings.

"Ahh, there's no one there. "

"After Homecoming?" Keith asked, surprised and Veronica wished the information surprised her too.

"There was a Première." Logan shrugged and if he didn't come over every time things got… out of control, Veronica might have really believed that Logan didn't care.

Acting runs in the Echolls family, but Logan has always been better at it than his hack parents are.

"I'm sure Lianne will be happy to see you," Keith smiled back at Logan. He had known just enough about Logan's home life to give Logan and Veronica passes during times like these.

It had amused Veronica, and she knows it amused Logan because he's always amused by hypocrisy, that the parents acted like the Homecoming part was some huge deal. Yes they'd never been out this late before and they'd never come home visibly drunk before, but it hadn't been the first time any of them had skirted, or blatantly violated, a curfew.

When they arrived at the Mars house Lianne was waiting at the front door with a sympathetic smile. She had breakfast ready, pancakes and orange juice. Keith must have called her before the limo even got to the Kane's.

The four of them sat around the table eating with occasional outbreaks of conversation. Logan had challenged Veronica with his eyes over the last pancake, and while she remembers not particularly wanting the pancake, she didn't want him to have it either. He had scowled and her eyes narrowed and there had been a click of animosity, another flash of the future. Veronica had smiled and pushed the plate towards her friend, she couldn't imagine her and Logan ever being enemies.

"Why don't you kids go outside and get some sun?" Keith had suggested despite the fact that it had been seven in the morning and they were both still in formalwear. He always made a supreme effort to keep Logan out of Veronica's room. It was almost endearing considering the lack of interest they have in each other.

"He's punishing us," Logan hissed as he and Veronica plopped down on the soft grass in her front yard. "He knows we're hung-over and he's punishing us!"

"At least we're in the shade." Veronica flopped back onto the grass and then winced as a yellow shaft of light filtered through tree leaves and hit her.

Laying in the grass with your best friend's boyfriend should have been awkward, uncomfortable. But Logan was actually a lot easier to deal with when he wasn't around Lilly. He postured around Lilly and made Veronica wish she knew him at six and ten, rather than at twelve and sixteen.

Logan spread his jacket out next to him and examined it carefully.

"How bad is it?" Veronica sat up.

Logan shrugged.

"I can't believe Duncan did that-"

"He didn't know V," Logan interrupted before Veronica had time to get righteously indignant. "No one knows."

"Come on Logan," she scoffed. "I'm sure Lilly knows, and your friends have to have seen the scars at the beach."

Logan shrugged. "I play it off. No one looks to hard." 'Except you' has been left unsaid.

Veronica remembered the first time she found out about Logan's abuse. It had been a rainy afternoon and she'd been trying to read. But someone kept knocking on the door. It had been scrawny 12 year old Logan, soaked to the bone and inconsolable. Veronica brought him into the family room where the fire was raging in the fireplace and wrapped him in a blanket. She stroked his hair while he cried into her lap, and later bandaged his cuts with sloppy band-aids. 5 years later, she had still been his solace, though now it is more of a secret.

Veronica doesn't know why he came to her. Doesn't want to know why. All she knows is that if Logan's father has to keep hitting him, then she wants her friendship with Logan to stay just like this.  
***

She wonders who Logan goes to now with his back bleeding. Was it Caitlin? Has Veronica deprived him of yet another source of solace?

Veronica wants to walk up to Logan and give him a hug. She wants to tell him she is sorry and kick-start their new friendship, but she doesn't dare. Not with so much water under their bridge.


End file.
